mrider wrote:I disagree people drink alchol because they like owuld happens when they are drunk. They don't drunk because there parents don't like it it.

trust this guy. he knows from first hand experience

Well if that is taking a stab at me because of my age that is weak. But I don't drink often, and its not because my parents permitted to. I think teenagers drink because of peer pressure and if you don't do it, it is almost frowned upon. Which is really stupid.

Dude, peer pressure is responsible for some of the coolest stuff I've ever done.

In all seriousness, I think teenagers who are told alcohol is a sin and should never touch it by their parents are actually more likely to give in to that peer pressure than someone who was taught responsibility with alcohol. If anything, the responsible kid may have a drink or two while the "don't touch alcohol" kid gets hammered.

Wholeheartedly agree with Coppermine, the problem has never been just touching alcohol, the problem has been abusing it. And letting young ones drink early(permit drinking in public by 16, permit buying at 21 if you want). Let their parents guide them through first hand experience, instead of barring that and basically just open the alcohol world to them once they are in college, then the peer pressure will get to you and abusing anything is a bad idea. I started drinking(okay, sipping) beer occasionally at dinner around 6, started drinking wine around 8 or so, and has throughly enjoyed alcohol, not abusing it, my parents taught me different type of drinks and what type of meals goes with those and ect... not "hey, you wanna shot-gun a couple beers with me?"

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Snakes Gould wrote:Well if that is taking a stab at me because of my age that is weak. But I don't drink often, and its not because my parents permitted to. I think teenagers drink because of peer pressure and if you don't do it, it is almost frowned upon. Which is really stupid.

Dude, peer pressure is responsible for some of the coolest stuff I've ever done. and some of the dumbest

In all seriousness, I think teenagers who are told alcohol is a sin and should never touch it by their parents are actually more likely to give in to that peer pressure than someone who was taught responsibility with alcohol. If anything, the responsible kid may have a drink or two while the "don't touch alcohol" kid gets hammered.

edited for ya for accuracy

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Coppermine wrote:Dude, peer pressure is responsible for some of the coolest stuff I've ever done. and some of the dumbest

In all seriousness, I think teenagers who are told alcohol is a sin and should never touch it by their parents are actually more likely to give in to that peer pressure than someone who was taught responsibility with alcohol. If anything, the responsible kid may have a drink or two while the "don't touch alcohol" kid gets hammered.

While a few people may want to "rebel", the majority of the people I know and go (went, now) to school with drink heavily because they actually enjoy being drunk. Some people's parents actually help them throw parties and provide alcohol, and those kids drink just as much as other ones. I don't know what it's like in other parts of the country, but around here, people drink to get drunk, because they like being drunk. That and it's "cool" too.

da1chipo wrote:Seeing as how I live in this underage drinking world right now...

While a few people may want to "rebel", the majority of the people I know and go (went, now) to school with drink heavily because they actually enjoy being drunk. Some people's parents actually help them throw parties and provide alcohol, and those kids drink just as much as other ones. I don't know what it's like in other parts of the country, but around here, people drink to get drunk, because they like being drunk. That and it's "cool" too.

I agree with this. I don't drink but I know that parents of people in my grade provide alcohol for parties and don't care if their kids drink. People do it because they want to be drunk, and it's a "cool" thing they can do with their friends.

Interesting read. I definitely concur about the general attitude in America towards underage drinking is based off fear, that children, teens, and college-aged adults aren't going to be responsible drinkers and/or they won't respect alcohol to the point they don't know when enough is enough.

From personal experience, my father was pragmatic about me drinking in my high school days just because it was expected that somehow, some way, there was going to be booze at the party, but I reckon it was also trust in me to be responsible. My mother being assimilated to the cultural perception of alcohol was extremely averse to me drinking, but in the end, caved in and eventually got her blessing to go to such wild parties. Aside from a few times, I wasn't drunk all that much in high school whereas my friends were flat out plastered as they drunk simply to be drunk. However, in my first couple of years in college, I wound up being more drunk (as depression set in), but my time abroad in France actually gave me greater appreciation of alcohol in general and even though I spent many a weekend drunk, I just drink (like Coppermine) for the appreciation of a well-brewed beer.

As far as peer pressure to drink at an early age goes, I think the pressure is greater in Europe (especially in the UK) than it is in America, interestingly enough. It's not so much that you're urged to have a few drinks at 10 or 12 years old (i.e. "to look cool"), but it's the expected norm, like a rite of passage, so to speak. At a European wedding, it's definitely OK to have a beer or two, and/or a glass of wine or two, and the bartender behind the private bar wouldn't mind. The inferred rationale behind it is that the parents/guardians are solely responsible for their children's intake of alcohol and not on the party hosting the occasion.

This doesn't mean that adolescents in Europe aren't as likely to engage in risky behavior because quite frankly, I know many a friend back there who has in their high school days and even to the present. However, I think you see less alcoholic abuse and incidents of drunken driving not just because there's lesser fascination on the substance of alcohol in and of itself, but because the laws are extremely strict on DUI incidents than they are generally here in the States. Because mass transportation is easily accessible from the biggest of metropolises in Europe to the smallest towns, not only is it efficient to get around town this way, but the network is so extensive you can get around just about anywhere. I don't think this is the main factor on this trend (as it doesn't nail completely why alcohol abuse is relatively lower than in America), but I think it's one of them.

when i was in Jr. High and High School, i never drank to be "cool" i drank because i liked the feeling...

...as far as effects on underage drinking and if starting early/waiting till 21 will lead to abuse, i'd really have to look at it as a case to case basis. i know alot of people who started drinking young and some of them became raging alcoholics and some of them, well, they still like to drink alot but under control. i'm sure the same holds true for kids who waited until they were 21 (or even 19 or some age older than HS freshmen)

da1chipo wrote:Seeing as how I live in this underage drinking world right now...

While a few people may want to "rebel", the majority of the people I know and go (went, now) to school with drink heavily because they actually enjoy being drunk. Some people's parents actually help them throw parties and provide alcohol, and those kids drink just as much as other ones. I don't know what it's like in other parts of the country, but around here, people drink to get drunk, because they like being drunk. That and it's "cool" too.

I agree with this. I don't drink but I know that parents of people in my grade provide alcohol for parties and don't care if their kids drink. People do it because they want to be drunk, and it's a "cool" thing they can do with their friends.

That's not teaching responsible drinking though; quite the opposite. Parents who throw "parties" for their kids and let them get drunk are just cementing an already growing problem and trend. I agree we shouldn't just be coming down on the parents who forbid their children from touching booze, but I think its those parents who teach their kids to respect alcohol and understand its effects that are the ones who grow up to drink responsibly.